Rotary International (Honorary Member)
Kiwanis International (Honorary Member)
League of Women Voters
United Global Outreach

What are the three top challenges facing the Orange County Commission? Briefly describe how you would address these challenges. (limit 150 words)

1) Smart growth management and real long-term regional planning – This area is a mess, particularly related to Orange County District 5. Future smart growth management and long-term planning must address decades of infrastructure neglect and must require environmental sustainability, transportation infrastructure, education access, economic opportunity and quality of life issues to be factored into management and planning approaches going forward. There has been a terrible failure in this area to take a “global” and holistic view on development and smart growth and to coordinate effectively with other boards and stakeholders causing residents unnecessary harm.
2) Public Safety – Adequate funding and priority for our law enforcement, corrections, fire fighters and other first responders and the additional equipment and infrastructure needed to reduce violent crime, prevent attacks and potential threats and demands related to the tremendous numbers of visitors to Orange County.
3) Dramatically increasing the county’s quality affordable housing inventory and related housing shortages to meet the needs and commitments of the homeless housing first initiatives and needs.

What is your experience working with large budgets, revenue shortfalls, and oversight? (limit 150 words)

I am 1st Vice Chair and Board Member of Community Health Centers and immediate past Board Treasurer. Served on CHC’s Finance Committee for multiple years. CHC’s budget is over $40,000,000 annually.

I am a Board Member of the Continuum of Care and member of the Governance Committee. The COC coordinates the region’s community wide (Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties) commitment to the goal of ending homelessness. Over $50,000,000 annually is spent on this effort.

I am a Board Member of the Homeless Services Network. Serve on the HSN Finance Committee. HSN’s operating budget is almost $3,000,000. HSN is the lead agency for HUD funding (over $8,000,000) for our region’s Continuum of Care (Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties).

I was named Nonprofit COO of the Year – Orlando Business Journal – 2014. As CEO/COO of United Global Outreach which leads and provides oversight for the Bithlo Transformation Effort, this initiative has leveraged resources for projects completed, in process or committed of well over $50,000,000.

What are three things “going right” for Orange County? How will you continue forward progress? (limit 150 words)

1) Committment to improve technologies for Tax Collector, Clerk of the Courts, Courts and other areas throughout Orange County Government to improve efficiencies, services and experience.
2) Quality of and expansion of parks and related recreation activities
3) Commitment to solving the homeless problem using the housing first model